Gate.



'PATENTED JUNE 20,- 1905.

P. H. OONNOLLY.

GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.15, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

P. H. GONNOLLY.

GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 15, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT ()EEICE.

PETER H. CONNOLLY, OF ENNIS, TEXAS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,968, dated June 20,1905.

Application filed November 15, 1904. Serial No. 282,879.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER H. CoNNoLLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ennis, in the county of Ellis and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to gates, and more particularly to that classknown as tilting gates; and the primary object of the presentconstruction is to simplify the erection of a gate structure as anentirety and render the gate proper much more sensitive and reliable inopening and closing movements.

The invention consists of a special means connected to a tilting gatefor releasing the same and also operating it in opposite verticaldirections, the said means being of a simplified construction andcapable of being readily assembled in operative position.

The invention further consists in the details of construction andarrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafterset forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate embodying thefeatures of the invention and shown closed. Fig. 2 is a side elevationshowing the gate fully open. Fig.

3 is a rear end elevation of thegate structure.

Fig. i is a detail perspective view of a weight attachment.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The gate structure comprises a latch-post 2, an intermediatesustaining-guide 3, and a rear supporting-post 4, to which the primeoperating devices are applied. The latchpost 2 is composed of twomembers, which are spaced apart from each other and separated by a lowerblock or analogous device 5 and has on the upper end thereof a strikeror similar device 6 to cooperate with the latch, which will be presentlyexplained. The sustaining-guide 3 is also composed of opposite members,which are considerably greater in vertical extent than the members ofthe latchpost 2 and have at the bottom an interposed space-block 7 withside fulcrumreceiving members 8, the opposite members of thesustaining-guide being strengthened by the application thereto ofdepending oblique braces, if desired, and top bracing means 9, extendingto the upper terminal of the post 4. The gate 10 is movably disposed inthe frame structure just set forth and may be of any desired form orcomposed either of wood or metal. The form shown consists of a series ofslats or strips 11, terminally attached to a latch-stile 12, with alatch 13 on its upper end to engage the striker 6 on the post 2 andconsisting of a suitable sliding bolt having an automatic operation withrespect to said striker when thegate is closed. The slats or strips 11are also attached at their rear ends to opposite side and end members(respectively designated by the numerals 14: and 15) and to aclosing-strip 14:, forming a rear stile. The upper edge of thespace-block or analogous device 7, between the lower extremities of themembers of the sustaining-guide 3, is below the plane, with the uppersurface of the space-block or similar device '5 disposed in thelatch-post 2, and hence the gate 10 is always held by thesustaining-guide in such position that when it is closed the lower endof the latch-stile 12 will accurately bear on the space-block 5, thesaid latch-stile moving between the members of the latch-post and alsoinwardly and upwardly from said members in the closing and openingmovements of the gate, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

Some portion of the gate is always held. between the members of thesustaining-guide 3, and secured to the lower terminal of the rear stileof the gate is 'a weight attachment 16, having a socket 16 to receivethe lower end of the latter stile, and a lower rounded edge 17, whichpermits it to ride over the upper end of the space-block 7. At asuitable elevation trunnions 17 project outwardly from the sides of thesocket 16 and movably engage the members 7 of the space-block 7. Nearthe upper edge of the opposite sides of the socket 16 of this weightattachment bearing-lugs 17" project outwardly and have rear curved edges17. When the gate is closed, the movement thereof is in opposition to apair of elongated retractile springs 18, at-

tached to the lower portion of the rear stile and alsoto thesupporting-post 4. These springs being attached to the rear stile of thegate above the trunnions 17 operate when the latch of thegate isreleased to initially draw the gate rearwardly and slightly in an upwarddirection between the members of the sustaining-guide, and thereby serveas starters to assist in opening the gate and relieve the operator of amaterial resistance to a readyopening movement of the gate. In the opening and. closing movements of the gate the weight device 16 acts as acounterpoise, with obvious advantages in the tilting operation of thegate.

Many devices could be used to open and close the gate; but a preferredsimplifiedconstruction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings andconsists of a crank member or device pivotally supported on the rearside of the post 4: and having a pair of depending legs 19below thefulcrum-point thereof and of elongated form, and an upper head 20, thecrank member or element being constructed from suitable material in suchmanner as to produce the legs 19 and the head 20. The spacebetween thelegs 19 is such as to permit them to freely move past theopposite sideedges of the post 4, and attached to the lower ends thereof arepull-cords, cables, or other analogous devices 21, which are extendedupwardly and passed through guide sheaves or pulleys 22 on the upperterminals of the members of the sustaining-guide, the pull-cords,cables, or analogous devices extending away from opposite portions ofthe sustaining guide to any distance desired and at such elevation as tobe within easy reaching distance of an operator approaching the gatestructure from either side. Secured to the upper end of the head 20 isthe rear terminal of a latchcord, cable, or other analogous device 23,which moves over a pulley 24 in the upper end of the post 4 and has itsforward end-connected to the latch 13 on the gates In the operation ofthe gate either one of the cords, cables, or analogous devices extendingaway from the opposite sides of the sustaining-guide may be grasped anda gentle pull exerted thereon. This pulling tensionon either one of thecords, cables, or analogous devices 21 draws both legs 19of the crankdevice forwardly and throws the head20 rearwardly, thereby releasing thelatch 13, thus permitting the springs 18 to clear the latch members ofthe sustaining-guide and the latchpost 2. When the gate falls over tothe rear,

as just explained, the rear curved ed'ges 17 of the lugs 17 contactwith, move over, and depress the springs 18, thereby again setting up aspring tension on the gate to assist in the overthrow in the closingmovement of the gate. To facilitate closing the gate, the latchcord,cable, or like device 23 is loosely held in close relation to the upperend of the rear stile of the gate by an eye 24:, through which it hasfree movement, and when the gate assumes a vertical position or is fullyopen and the rear stileof the gate assumes a lower horizontal positionthe legs 19 and head 20 of the crank device return to normal position.The operator after passing through the openspace of i the gate structurebetween the sustainingguide and the latch-post 2' grasps theoppositecord, cable, or analogous device 21 and gently pulls the same and againdraws the-legs 19 gradually forward or toward the sustainingguideand-throws the head-2O rearwardly, the rearward movement of the said.head by reason of the engagementof the-latch-cord with the rear stile ofthegateandthe assistance'ofi the springs 18 causes the lower rearextremity of the gate to be gradually lifted until apoint is reachedwhere thecounterpoise-weight 1:6 is free to act or passes the center ofmovement, when the gate will be lowered by gravity, but without materialjar. It will also be understood that the counterpoiseweight 16 actssimilarly to the'operation just described when the gate is opened. Whenthe gate returns to normal; closed position,.the weight thereof will bein oppositionto the springs 18, and when fully closed and latched'thetension of the said springs will be such as to cause them toautomatically operateto throw the gate upwardly for a short distance ina longitudinal direction in. a further opening operation, as heretoforeexplained, and. by reason-of the attachment of the springs to the weightattachment above the trunnions.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the crank or prime operatingdevice carriedby the post 1 is partially automatic in its operation byreason of its return to normal position when the gate is fully open, andwhich is due to the pull exerted on the head 20 by the latch-cord,cable, or other device 23 when. the gate'assumes aivertical position, asshown by Fig. 2.

In various applications of the operating niechanismthe proportions and:dimensions thereof will be modified to correspond to a change in thesize of the gate, and the weight device 16 willalsobe regulated to meetsuch variation.

Having thus fully described: the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.A tilting gate having pivotal means and a counterbalancing device, a.supporting structure in which the gate is movably. mountedby the pivotalmeans, spring devices attached to the gate and a part of the supportingstructure for imparting starting movements to the gate in both theopening and closing operations thereof, a pivotally-disposed primaryoperating means having aswinging movement in opposite directions andwhich is returned to normal position when the gate is fully opened tocome into play in the closing movement of the gate, and means foroperating the gate at a distance from the latter.

2. Atiltinggatehaving pivotal means and a counterbalancing devicethereon, a supporting structure for the gate includingasustainingguideengaged by the pivotal means, and a latch-post, a pivotally-disposedprimary operating means having a swinging movement in oppositedirections and which is returned to normal position when the gate isfully opened to come into play in the closing movement of the gate, andflexible connections between the primary operating means, the supportingstructure and the gate.

3. A tilting gate, a supporting structure therefor in which the gate ispivotally mounted and including a latch-post having a device to engage alatch-bolt, a prime operating device movable in opposite directions inrear of the gate, flexible connections between the supporting structureand the lower terminals of the said operating device, the gate having alatch thereon, and a flexible connection between the upper extremity ofthe prime operating device, the rear extremity of the gate, and thelatch on the latter.

4.. A tilting gate, a supporting structure therefor in which the gate ispivotally mounted and including a latch-post having a device to engage alatch-bolt, a prime operating device movable in opposite directions inrear of the gate, flexible connections between the supporting structureand the lower terminals of the said operating device, the gate having alatch thereon, a flexible connection between the upper extremity of theprime operating device, the rear extremity of the gate, and the latch,and means for starting the gate in its movement in the supportingstructure when the latch is released to clear the latch end of the gate.

5. A tilting gate, a supporting structure therefor including alatch-post having a latchengaging device thereon, the gate being provided with a latch, a prime operating device movably supported on thestructure in rear of the gate, flexible gate-operating connectionsmovable through a part of the structure and connected to the lowerextremities of the prime operating device, and a latch-operatingconnection secured to the upper extremity of the prime operating deviceand loosely held on the upper terminal of the rear extremity of the gateand connected at its front end to the latch.

6. A tilting gate, a supporting structure vided with a latch, a primeoperating device movably supported on the structure in rear of the gate,flexible gate-ope rating connections movable through a part of thestructure and connected to the lower extremities of the prime operatingdevice, a latch-operatin g con nection secured to the upper extremity ofthe prime operating device and loosely held on the upper terminal of therear extremity of the gate and connected at its front end to the latch,and a weight device on the lower terminal of the rear extremity of thegate.

7. A tilting gate, a supporting structure therefor including alatch-post having a latchengaging device thereon, the gate beingprovided with a latch, a prime operating device movably supported on thestructure in rear of the gate, flexible gate-operating connectionsmovable through a part of the structure and connected to the lowerextremities of the prime operating device, a latch-operating connectionsecured to the upper extremity of the prime operating device and looselyheld on the upper terminal of the rear extremity of the gate andconnected at its front end to the latch, and spring devices connected tothe structure in rear of the gate and also to the lower portion of therear extremity of the latter.

8. A tilting gate, a supporting structure therefor including alatch-post having a latchengaging device thereon, the gate beingprovided with a latch, a prime operating device movably supported on thestructure in rear of the gate, flexible gate-operating connectionsmovable through a part of the structure and connected to the lowerextremities of the prime operating device, a latch-operating connectionsecured to the upper extremity of the prime operating device and looselyheld on the upper terminal of the rear extremity of the gate andconnected at its front end to the latch, a weight device on the lowerterminal of the rear extremity of the gate, and spring devices attachedto a part of the structure in rear of the gate and also to the lowerportion of the rear extremity of the latter.

9. A tilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate is pivotallydisposed and including a latch-post having a latch-engaging device, thegate being provided with a latch,

a prime operating means having flexible con-' nections attached theretoand movable through a part of the structure, and a flexiblelatchoperating connection attached to the prime operating device andloosely engaging the upper terminal of the rear extremity of the gateand also attached to the latch, the flexible latch-operating connectionrestoring the prime operating device to normal position when the gate isfully opened.

10. Atilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate is pivotallymounted and in- ICFO cluding a latch-post, an intermediatesustaining-guide, and a rear supporting-post, acrank device pivotallyheld on the'rear supportingpost and having depending legs and anupwardly-extending head, a latch carried by the gate to engage thelatch-post, flexible connections attached to the lower ends of the legsof the crank device and movably passing overthe intermediatesustaining-guide and extending in opposite directions, and a flexibleconnection attached to the. head of the crank device and movablyengaging the upper terminal of the rear extremity of the gate and attached to the latch device. 7

11. A tilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate ispivotally disposed, a weight device on the lower portion of the rearstile of the gate, said weight device being provided with trunnions andupper bearing projections, springs attached to the weight device betweenthe trunnions and bearing projections, and flexible means attached tothe gate for operating the latter.

12. A tilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate ispivotally disposed, aweight attachment secured to the lower portion ofthe rear stile of the gate and having upper projections, spring devicesattached to the weight attachment below the said projection, the latterbearing on the spring devices when the gate is opened, and flexiblemeans attached to the gate for operating the same.

13. A tilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate ispivotally disposed and including a latch-post having a latch-engagingdevice, the gate being provided with a latch, a prime operating meanshaving flexible connections attached thereto and movable through a partof the structure, a weight attachment secured to the rear part of thegate and having upper projections, spring devices secured to the weightattachment below the said projection and also to a part of thestructure, and a flexible latch-operating connection attached to theprime operating device and movably engaging the upper terminal of therear extremity of thegate and also secured to the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

PETER H. CONNOLLY.

Witnesses:

A. A. DUNKERLEY, C. M. CLARK.

